Four political activists friends are arrested by the repressive regime in Syria in the 1970s and spend twenty years in detention, three of them are released, and the fourth remains. The three friends are shocked by the huge changes they found in society, while showing the hardships their fourth comrade faces in prison.

Based on Ghassan Kanafani's novel, 'Returning to Haifa,' this film, set in 1967, centres on a Palestinian couple who return to the war-torn city to search for their young son Farhan, whom they were forced to abandon when fleeing Zionist acts of terrorism in 1948. Saeed and Atefeh's own house has even been taken over by a Polish Jewish family, who, it transpires, are holding Farhan hostage. It is up to the couple, with the assistance of Farhan's steely grandmother, to find a way to reclaim their lost son. One of the few Iranian films to tackle the Palestinian issue from a historical perspective, this stunning piece of work from Seifollah Daad features meticulous attention to period detail and moving performances.

The film carries within it a dose of love, hope and optimism, in addition to the human relationships that connect the inhabitants of the old city with each other. I believe that relationships based on love are one of the reasons for the continuation of this city until now. The film is based on the concept of the word “love”, not love between a young man and a young woman, but rather love for things, people, place, profession and work.

The film depicts the harsh reality of refugees who were forced to leave their war-torn countries, as they find a glimmer of hope in their lives when they learn that American stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are coming to the Syrian capital to visit the Iraqi refugees.